Vehicle running gear



Jan. 9, 1951 w. H. SECKEL VEHICLE RUNNING GEAR Original Filed Nov. 17, 1944 Patented Jan. 9, 1951' TENT VEHICLEI'NENG idallace. H. SeckeLiGalion, Ohio, assignor to- The Perfection-Steel Body Company, Gallon, Qhio,

' a corporation'ofi Ohio ori inal appiieatics M anmar '17, 1944,.serial Braided ans this appiieaticn'oe- I This invention relates to improvements ill-1.11 steel running gear' for wagon, trailer or truck service and is divisional of an originalapplication filed Nov. 17, 1944-;Serial No. 563,855; Ve-

hicle Running Gear issued Nov. 26, 1946,.No-

The running gear, primarily is directed tothe axles, asfront and rear, each of channel beamform in cross section" having its opposite side walls, each terminating with a lateral. outwardly extending flange for the bottom side of. the beam and the axles connected by a pair ofsills, pref erably of channel form in cross section, extending longitudinally of the running gear, as draft transmitting elements and for sustaining a body or cargo carrying platform. The flexibility of the sills maintain all of the Wheels,- respectively for a four-wheel vehicle, in traction bearing upon undulating and rough ground, so that the vehicle is adaptable as a farm wagon, light in weight-,- sturdy, durable and of low cost in manufacture.

An object of the invention is to provide the axles of a vehicle running gear of structuralsteel formation incross sectionfor weight reduction and increased stability, eachhaving wheel jonr nalling spindles, one-respectively fixed to and within each of the opposite ends thereof and contiguous therewith.

Another object is to provide a vehicle axle of channel form in cross section, the channel open to the bottom side of the axle and each of its longitudinal ends respectively sealedby a closure plate,- welded to the beam, with the stub. end of a wheel journall'ing spindle traversing the closure plate, extending into the channel and fixedly seated-within the beam and closure plate.-

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description of the drawings accompanied here with-depicting a preferred embodiment andforming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved four wheel vehicle running gear with the Wheels omitted.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a section of the rear axle.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3, 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4, 4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5, 5, Figure l.

The running gear, of four wheel type, primarily comprises a front and a rear axle connected by relatively angularly disposed structural steel sills or beams extending longitudinally of the vehicle,

restingupon the upper side of the axles-.ancl iixed thereto. for the reeeptionof a commercial.auto=- truck bodyor direct application of acargocarry ing. vehicle platform .unit,-conver-tible into-a boxlike body by removable-sides sustained bystakes:

engaged into the rim of the frameeof-the pl ah form, tovthe elimination. of bolsters as. conventionally employed, onemounted-and fixed.upon each .of the. axles respectively. 'l his materially simplifiesw the: structure, reduces its cost asawllj as giving. sturdiness thereto, While providingl-for flexor yield whenthe vehicle. is conveydover rough. ground surfaces,. so that its. utility is. en;- hancedinanextendedlengtli of vehicle meagre cultural. service. The vehiclemay be. either arii mal or tractor drawn to. function. as a. trailer;

Referring to the drawings, l indicates the rear axle and lthe f rontaxle, which are of duplic construction,. except for the method of applying the wheel -j our-nalling spindles, the. spindles tor the rear axle being rigid whil'e for the front are swiveled- Theaxles are formed from steel plate into a beam of channel or U-shaped in cross section withthe opposite. side wa11s'3,'3, each terminating with an outward laterally extendd'flai'ige'dt longitudinal of the. full length of .the beam. beam is disposed with its intermediate wallor flange connecting web 5, uppermost andin ahorizontal plane to provide a'flat surface for resting and sustaining-a pair of sills of beams 6,15, thereon. The sills 6, preferably, are relativewangul rly disposed, converging toward each other toward" the forward end of the'running gear.

The sills are preferably of channel form in cross section, with the web portion extended verticall or perpendicularly from the topplane of the axlebeams, and eachfixe'd to thefront and rear axle beams, respectively by an angle form.

ofbrac'ket plate" 1,.8Xt'9lidlt1'g" transvers ly across the axle'beam' and fixed to the outeri'side of the web of" the sill. The flanges of the sill, preferably are directed-inward or the runmnggear. "The bracket plate I, is fixed to the axle beam by a pair of brace and anchoring plates 8, 8, respectively at opposite outer sides of the side walls of the axle beam, welded to the bracket plate and beam. Thus the bracket with the downwardly ets are preferably bolted to the sills to permit ready substitution of difierent sills, although the;

method of fastening is optional.

The rear axle l, at each of its opposite ends,

has a wheel journalling spindle 9, fixed therein and protruding therefrom, preferably of a contour for a tapering roller bearing of conventional type, although its outer end may be of a design for other styles of wheel mounting and class of wheel. The inner or stub end of the spindle is of circular contour and traverses the beam end closure plate In, welded to the end of the beam. The closure plate I is of isosceles trapezoidal outline or figure, and having its lower base end of a width to span the lateral flanges of the beam, as shown in Figure 4, reinforcing and binding the end of the beam. The spindle stub is welded to the beam end closure plate l0, and extends centrally inward of the channel of the beam seating within and welded to a segmental cross or stub plate I I, located within the beam as shown in Figure 3, and welded to the opposite side walls thereof.

The channel beam form of axle construction together with the oppositely extended flanges for the bottom of the beam permits it to be made of a comparatively light gauge of sheet metal and provide the necessary stability and having an open channel at its lower or bottom side, the stocks for mounting and sustaining the wheel journalling spindles and can be conveniently embodied within the opposite ends of the beam and to extend the spindles contiguoustherefrom.

The front axle 2, for steering facilities, at each of its'opposite ends if equipped with a. pivotally mounted wheel journalling and steering spindle I2. The spindle has an angular laterally projecting steering arm 13, with its outer end ply-- otally connected to a yoke end of a tie rod 14, which connects the steering arms of both spindles for the front wheel. The tie rod is shown as disposed at the rear side of the front axle, and centrally of its length connects with a hitch l5, pivotally mounted upon the axle. The tie rod may be located at the front side of the axle, when there is no necessity to guard the same and the, swing or are of movement of the hitch is limited. I

- Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A rear axle for a vehicle running gear comprising a beam of channel form in cross-section with the channel exposed to the lower side of the axle, having its opposite side walls each terminating with a lateral outwardly extended flange for the bottom side of the beam, a closure plate respectively for each end of the beam and ex tensive to cover the ends of the flanges and welded thereto and to the engaging surfaces of the beam, a wheel journalling spindle respectively for each end of the beam and protruding therefrom, each having a stub end traversing the closure plate and welded thereto and a stub plate within the channelof the beam welded to the opposite side walls of the beam providing a support for the stub end of a spindle within the beam and welded thereto.

2. An axle for a vehicle running gear, comprising a structural steel channel beam with the channel exposed to the lower side of the axle and having its opposite side walls each terminating with an outward lateral flange, a plate respectively for each end of the beam of trapezoidal figure with a base end thereof overlying and covering the end of each of said lateral flanges providing a closure for an end of the beam and integrally joined thereto and a wheel journalling spindle for each end of the beam traversing and integrally joined to a closure plate and fixedly seated to the beam within the channel thereof.

3. An axle for a vehicle of channel beam form in cross section having its opposite side walls each terminating with a lateral outwardly extending flange for the bottom side of the beam, a wheel journalling spindle respectively for each end of the beam fixedly mounted within the beam and protruding therefrom, and a pair of plates, one for each of the opposite side walls of the beam and outer side thereof, fixed thereto and relatively in registry to straddle the beam, reinforcing the sides of the beam and adapted for securing a vehicle body carrying sill bearingly upon the beam and extending cross-wise thereof.

4. An axle for a vehicle of channel beam forth in cross section having its opposite side walls each terminating with a lateral outwardly extending flange for the bottom side of the beam, a wheel journalling spindle respectively for each end of the beam fixedly mounted within the beam and protruding therefrom, and a pair of plates, one for each of the opposite side walls of beam and outer side thereof, fixed thereto and relatively in registry to straddle the beam, reinforcing the sides of the beam and adapted for securing a vehicle body carrying sill bearingly upon the beam and extending cross-wise thereof, the lower end of each plate bearing upon and fixed to the lateral flange of the side wall, whereby the plate provides a gusset for the wall and flange.

WALLACE H. SECKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 427,636 Swalley May 13, 1890 2,066,388 Birkin Jan. 5, 1937 2,411,836 Seckel Nov, 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 686,438 Germany Jan. 9, 1940 

